Chicken Suruwa Recipe: Fiji-Style Soupy Curry
, by Domalco, 2 min reading time
Suruwa (soupy curry) is a light, brothy Fiji Indian curry made to be poured over bhaat (rice). Comforting on a cold night or when you're feeling unwell.
Photo: Vinitha V / Unsplash
Suruwa (soupy curry) is the lighter, brothier side of Fiji Indian cooking. Instead of a thick jhor (gravy), suruwa has plenty of spiced broth that's poured over bhaat (rice). It's made with murgi (chicken), machhli (fish) or duck, and it's what many families cook on a cold, rainy evening or for someone who's feeling under the weather.
Fiji Hindi words in this recipe
- suruwa (soupy curry, broth)
- murgi (chicken)
- machhli (fish)
- jhor (gravy)
- bhaat (cooked rice)
- jeera (cumin seeds)
- methi (fenugreek seeds)
- lehsun (garlic) and adrak (ginger)
- masala (curry powder / spice mix)
- dhaniya (coriander leaves)
Ingredients
Serves 4–6 · Prep 15 min · Cook 45 min
- 1 kg murgi (chicken), bone-in, cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds) and ¼ tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
- A few curry leaves
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp crushed lehsun (garlic)
- 1 tbsp crushed adrak (ginger)
- 2 tbsp Fiji masala (curry powder)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1–2 chillies, slit
- 6 cups water
- Salt to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Large handful of dhaniya (coriander leaves)
Method
- Temper. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the jeera, methi and curry leaves and fry until they crackle.
- Onion, garlic, ginger. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, then add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
- Masala. Add the masala and turmeric mixed with a little water and fry for 2 minutes until the oil separates.
- Chicken. Add the chicken and salt and fry on high heat for 5 minutes until sealed.
- Simmer. Add the tomatoes, chillies and water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30–35 minutes until the chicken is tender and the broth is full of flavour.
- Finish. Stir in the lemon juice and plenty of dhaniya. Taste for salt and serve in bowls over bhaat.
Tips
- Bone-in chicken gives a much richer broth than boneless.
- Fish suruwa: make the broth first (steps 1–3, then tomatoes and water, simmer 10 minutes), then add fish pieces for the last 8–10 minutes.
- More heat: add crushed black pepper for a peppery suruwa that's great for colds.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between suruwa and a regular curry?
Suruwa has much more liquid and a thin, soupy broth, while a regular tarkari (curry) is cooked down to a thick jhor (gravy). See our Fiji chicken curry for the thick version.
How long does suruwa keep?
Up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Cook it with Domalco
Find pots, stainless steel bowls and the full Indian kitchen range at our Ba and Lautoka stores, or shop online with free delivery on orders over $100.
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